Turret system for lightweight military vehicle

• US 4,686,888 A
• Filed: 03/03/1986
• Issued: 08/18/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/1983
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ren Acquisition Corp.
• Original Assignee: AM General Corporation
• Inventors: Sanborn, Steven L., Neumeyer, Martin J.
• Primary Examiner(s): BENTLEY, STEPHEN
• Application Number:
  US06/835,464
• Time in Patent Office: 533 Days
• Field of Search: 89/1.802, 89/1.815, 89/36.08, 89/36.13, 89/37.13, 89/40.03, 89/40.04, 89/41.01, 89/41.02
• US Class Current: 89/37.13
• CPC Class Codes: F41A 23/34 on wheeled or endless-track vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: F41A 25/00 Gun mountings permitting recoil or return to battery, e.g. gun cradles; Barrel buffers or brakes recoilless guns F41A1/08
• CPC Class Codes: F41A 27/18 for gun turrets F41A27/08 takes precedence

Abstract

A lightweight military vehicle is provided with an unmanned turret for interchangeably supporting large weapon stations. Elastomer filled stanchions connected to a turret platform serve to isolate weapon impulse forces from the vehicle frame. Driver, commander and gunner seats are located externally to the turret and provided with said doors to enable quick exiting. Both powered and manual backup drives are external to the rotating turret disk and are accessible from the gunner'"'"'s seat. The elevation drive employs a ball and socket joint connecting an upper yoke mounted to the weapon with a fixed lower portion controlling vertical movement of the yoke and thereby the elevation of the gun.

Claims

1. A military land vehicle having a roof and an interior volume having at least one passenger seat, the vehicle permitting interchangeability of different weapon stations, each weapon station including a weapon mounted on a disk, the vehicle comprising:

a platform located interiorly of an opening in the roof of the vehicle, the platform having a generally flat upper surface and an aperture therethrough, lower portions of the platform being connected to a frame for the vehicle by way of a plurality of flexible stanchions spaced about the periphery of the platform;

azimuth drive means on the upper surface of the platform for rotating the disk about 360 degrees, said azimuth drive means having at least one electric motor driving a gear assembly mounted to the upper platform surface;

means for removably attaching the disk of the desired weapon station to the gear assembly of the azimuth drive means;

elevation drive means including a ball and socket joint located in the interior of the vehicle and extending through the aperture in the platform; and

connection means for removably connecting the elevation drive means to the weapon.

2. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein said azimuth drive means includes:

turret bearing means having a ring gear to which the disk is removably attached, and a pinion for engaging radially extending teeth on the surface of the ring gear.

3. The vehicle of claim 2 wherein said weapon station includes cradle means for receiving a weapon in such manner so as to pivot the weapon in elevation about a pair of trunnions, and wherein said elevation drive means includes:

a vertically movable member removably attached to the cradle means, and a motor within the vehicle for controlling vertical movement of said member to thereby move the gun in elevation; and

power control means for automtically energizing the motors of the azimuth and elevation drive means.

4. The vehicle of claim 3 wherein said member is rotatably connected to the drive means said of a ball and socket joint to permit said member to rotate with the disk during azimuth positioning thereof.

5. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein the stanchions are filled with an energy absorbing material.

6. A military vehicle comprising:

an interior volume having at least one passenger seat;

a platform connected to the vehicle by way of a plurality of flexible stanchions;

a disk having a weapon mounted thereon capable of pivoting in elevation;

a ring gear having an inner race and an outer race, means for connecting the inner race of the ring gear to the platform, the outer race including a plurality of radially extending teeth;

means for removably connecting said disk together with its associated weapon to the outer race of said ring gear;

azimuth drive means on the platform and spaced from the disk for engaging the teeth of said ring gear to rotate the disk and position the weapon in azimuth;

elevation drive means in the vehicle and removably connected to said weapon for controlling elevation thereof, said elevation drive means including a ball and socket joint; and

power control means having a controller accessible from the passenger seat for selectively activating the azimuth and elevation drive means to thereby automatically control the position of the weapon.

7. The vehicle of claim 6 wherein the azimuth drive means includes:

a driven pinion mounted on the platform and engaging said ring gear, and a motor in the vehicle connected to said power control means.

8. The vehicle of claim 7 wherein said vehicle includes manual control means for manually moving the weapon, said manual control means including a first wheel coupled to the pinion of the azimuth drive means, with the wheel being capable of being manually rotated by a person from his seat in the vehicle to thereby manually position the weapon in azimuth.

9. The vehicle of claim 8 wherein the elevation drive means includes:

a first elongated member centrally located about the axis of rotation of the disk, a second member extending through the disk and removably connected to the weapon, and said ball and socket joint defining a rotating coupling between the first and second members constructed so that vertical movement of the first member controls elevation of the weapon, with said second member being capable of rotating with the weapon during azimuth positioning thereof.

10. The vehicle of claim 9 wherein said first member comprises a rack, the elevation drive means includes a pinion for engaging the rack, with the power control means including a motor for imparting rotational movement to the pinion thereby controlling vertical movement of the rack, and wherein said manual control means further includes means for manually rotating the pinion to control elevation of the weapon.

11. The vehicle of claim 10 wherein the second member includes a yoke removably connected to trunnions on the weapon.

12. The vehicle of claim 6 wherein said vehicle is a land vehicle having a plurality of forward looking seats, one of the seats being a gunner'"'"'s seat, and wherein said vehicle further includes exterior side doors adjacent each seat.

13. The vehicle of claim 9 wherein the vehicle includes a roof portion having an opening therein, said platform being located beneath said opening, with said disk being located within the opening and spaced from the roof, with the vehicle further including weather seal means bridging the space between said disk and said roof, with the weather seal means being connected at inner portions thereof to the disk and extending generally radially outwardly therefrom.

14. The vehicle of claim 13 wherein the outer portion of said weather seal means includes a resilient means contacting the roof.

15. The vehicle of claim 6 wherein the stanchions are filled with an energy absorbing material.